Right-Hand Drive Countries 2026: 75 That Drive on the Left
Right-hand drive means the wheel is on the right and traffic keeps left. 75 of 250 countries and territories do it; full list by continent, from our data.
75 countries and territories drive on the left, so their cars are right-hand drive; the other 175 drive on the right. Together the 75 hold about 36% of the world's population.
Right-hand drive means the steering wheel is on the right, and it goes with driving on the left: the driver sits nearest the centre line. 75 of the 250 countries and territories in our data drive on the left with right-hand drive cars, and the other 175 drive on the right. The 75 include India, Japan, Indonesia, Australia, South Africa and the United Kingdom, and together hold about 36% of the world’s population.
The name causes a lot of the confusion: “right-hand drive countries” are the drive-on-the-left countries, and “left-hand drive countries”, strictly, are the ones that keep right. Our guide to countries that drive on the left goes deeper into the history of the same 75 and what to expect when you switch sides.
Right-hand drive countries by continent
Countries and territories that drive on the left, by continent (75 in total)
Counted from the driving_side field of TyreMap's 250-entry country dataset, 1 October 2026. Territories such as Bermuda, Hong Kong and Jersey are counted separately from the country that governs them.
Europe has only 7: Cyprus, Guernsey, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta and United Kingdom. Everywhere else on the European mainland keeps right, so the change comes at the coast — the Channel crossings to Britain, or the ferry to Ireland — rather than at a land border.
Steering side is not always the driving side
The driving side is set by law; the steering position belongs to the car. In most left-driving places the two match, but not everywhere: in the United States Virgin Islands traffic keeps left while most cars are left-hand drive imports from the US mainland. Hire cars in the UK, Ireland, Japan or Australia will be right-hand drive, so the gear lever and often the indicator stalk move to the other hand.
Full list: countries that drive on the left (75)
The same list, grouped
- Africa (15): Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
- Asia (17): Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand
- Europe (7): Cyprus, Guernsey, Ireland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Malta, United Kingdom
- North America (17): Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Virgin Islands
- Oceania (16): Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu
- South America (3): Falkland Islands, Guyana, Suriname
Why some countries drive on the left
- Britain and its former empire. Keeping left was set in British law and carried to the colonies; most kept it after independence, which is why it covers much of southern and eastern Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean and Oceania.
- Continental Europe kept right. Napoleon is often credited with spreading right-hand traffic across the territories France controlled, though the habit existed in places before him.
- Sweden switched in 1967. On 3 September 1967 (Dagen H) Sweden moved from left to right to match its neighbours.
- Samoa switched the other way in 2009, from right to left, so that cheaper right-hand drive cars from Australia, New Zealand and Japan could be used.
- Japan keeps left; it was never a British colony, and the convention is usually traced to older custom later fixed in law.
Border crossings where the side changes
- Thailand (left) to Laos or Cambodia (right) — at the Mekong bridges and land crossings traffic changes side at the border.
- China (right) to Hong Kong or Macau (left) — the changeover is handled at the boundary control points.
- Namibia (left) to Angola (right), and Uganda (left) to Rwanda (right) — land borders in Africa where the side flips.
- France or Belgium (right) to the United Kingdom (left) — the Channel Tunnel shuttle and the ferries deliver you straight onto left-hand roads.
Tips for driving on the opposite side
- Rent a car built for the country — a right-hand drive car in a drive-left country keeps you near the centre line, where you can see past traffic ahead.
- Take extra care at roundabouts and junctions — that is where the old habit catches people out, especially turning onto an empty road.
- Watch the first minutes after a stop — leaving a petrol station or car park is when drivers drift back to their usual side.
- Use the centre line as your anchor — the driver should be beside it: on your right in drive-left countries, on your left in drive-right ones.
Related tools and guides
- Countries that drive on the left — history and switching-sides advice for the same 75
- Compare Driving Rules — side-by-side country comparison
- Interactive World Map — visual map of driving rules
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Frequently Asked Questions
No - it is the other way round. Right-hand drive describes the car: the steering wheel is on the right so the driver sits next to the centre line. That layout is used where traffic keeps to the left, as in the UK, Japan, India and Australia. Countries that drive on the right use left-hand drive cars.
75 of the 250 countries and territories in our data drive on the left, which means their cars are right-hand drive. They hold about 36% of the world's population, mostly because India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Japan are among them.
The usual explanation is that riders kept left so their right hand stayed free towards oncoming traffic, a habit British law later fixed for road traffic and spread through the empire. Historians treat the details as tradition rather than settled fact.
Samoa switched from right to left in 2009 to align with Australia and New Zealand. It was the last country to change. Myanmar reportedly switched in the 1970s from left to right.
Most drivers adapt within a day or two. The biggest challenges are roundabouts, turning at junctions, and muscle memory when roads are quiet. Automatic transmission helps reduce the adjustment.
No. Your standard driving licence (with IDP if required) is valid regardless of which side of the road the country uses.